The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-01-08
NAVIGATING TIGERS.
How They Devour tho Natives In Various
Portions of China.


Portions of China.
For long time was disposed to treat
their tiger stories with ridicule, and still
think that many of them are greatly ex-
aggerated but from the mass Of testi-
money have received from persons
directly connected with the scenes de-
scrbed; have come to the believe that
tigers are great scourge to the hill
country in Canton. Within few years,
in the vicinity of the market town OF
LAX Chook, more than score of people
are said to have been killed by them
The most frequent victims are wood
gatherers, who go of alone to the hills
for fire-wood. Two years ago one was
encountered near q village in this re-
gion, and surrounded by thirty men,
who attacked him with various weapons.
He was shot in the mouth and his teeth
broken, but this did not prevent his kill
ing two men and seriously wounding
two others before he was finally dis
patched. The year before the following
scenes occurred in village adjacent:
In the evening woman and her
daughter-in-law were at work in the
house, when suddenly tiger appeared.
caught up the mother-in-law,
| who was nearest the door, and
made off up the hill. The
ughter-in-law raised the alarm, but
the neighbors, frightened for them
selves, only shut their doors more close
ly, lest he should attack them. Early
next morning, six men, relatives of the
woman who had been carried off, went
in search. Owingto slight rain that
had fallen the previous day the tiger was
easily traced. He had gone up the hill
and thrown the body over a steep
precipice into deep ravine. There it
W as half eaten. The son, as filial duty
required, must get it at all risks. With
difficulty he descended and fastened a
rope about it, so that it could be drawn
up. They then buried the body and
went home. In the evening the tigerre-
turned to the village, but all the people
were then safely locked in their houses.
He roared, SO the people said, until the
earth shook, but could not get Mt his
prey. This account, with the names OF
parties concerned, was given me in a
manner that leaves no doubt of its truth.
In this particular rneighborhood the mum.
ber of pigs and cattle carried off is very
great. From all accounts it would ap.
pear that the number of people annually
carried off by tigers in the Canton hill
country may be reckoned in scores and
of cattle, pigs and other domestic ami.
mails in hundreds. "Why do not the
people destroy themp" is the question
often asked. Because they have no cf
ficient means. Their arms are poor,
their aim uncertain and superstition
keeps them in such dread of the beasts
that it is only when forced in actua
Near LAX Chook, the town referred to, {
few years ago the ravages of these
kings among the beasts were so great
that the people determined to call il
supernatural help, and so held Il sacrifi
cial feast, called Ta-teen-tsin. "An of
fering to Heaven" for deliverance from
the scourge of tigers. The perform
ances were kept for several days ant
their efficiency may be inferred from
the fact that while the services were go
ing on a tiger came into the villag
where there were held and carried off
pig. The affair in which the two mel
were killed occurred aftcrward near tn
same place.-B Henry's Interior VieW
Of Southern China.